Elections are coming, and the Democrats say over and over, “vote for Joe Biden” because he will be a real alternative to Trump. However, just like Trump, Biden recently voiced his support for Juan Guaidó, the right-wing politician trying to take power in Venezuela. If this is Biden’s agenda for Venezuela, we have to ask how much his presidency would really mean a difference.
Venezuela has vast oil reserves – a source of cheap oil for U.S. companies. In 1999, Hugo Chavez nationalized these oil resources, taking them out of the hands of the private companies that had profited from the oil. The U.S. was never able to regain full control of the oil. Under Bush, the U.S. attempted to instigate a coup against Chavez. U.S. funds have poured into the pockets of the Venezuelan opposition. In 2014, Obama imposed sanctions on Venezuela, crushing the country’s economy. During the Bush, Obama, and now Trump presidencies, U.S. policy has been the same – to take the oil back, by force if necessary.
Biden’s support for the same agenda as Trump shows his true nature – Biden may seem like a gentler and kinder personality, compared to Trump, but his administration would have the same goals – securing control over the world’s resources.
featured image credit: Gage Skidmore / Creative Commons